Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo | Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Places That Are Not Destroyed

February 5, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Treasury of Knowledge” by Jamgön Kongtrul:

The pure realms and the Seat of Enlightenment, etc., are not destroyed
Since they are not the result of the origin [of suffering].

Are there places in this world-system not subject to formation and destruction? The pure realms of the enjoyment dimension of awakening, the natural radiance of pristine wisdom of the exalted ones, are such places. The realms that arise from the force of the bodhisattvas’ inconceivable virtue and vows to purify all realms–Blissful and Delightful, for example–belong to the same category. These realms are not subject to formation and destruction until the activity of the buddhas has been completed.

The Seat of Enlightenment, Vulture Peak, and other sacred places are not destroyed along with this world. Although they are [part of] this world, they have not originated from [evolutionary actions and emotions that are] the origin of suffering.

Q&A: Karma, Cause and Effect

February 4, 2013February 4, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Quote from Jetsunma: “”All phenomena, the moment it naturally arises is completed.”

Question from student: Jetsunma, can you please explain that in more detail?

Jetsunma: There is no separation in time, and when phenomena arises both cause and effect manifest completely and together.

Question from student: …often so much time separates cause &effect that we can’t remember! Why do we experience things different from the way they are?

Jetsunma: We’ve experienced uncountable lives. Plenty of room for mistakes and good result both.

Question: OK, but if no separation in time, why do we experience cause &effect as separate?

Jetsunma: Because we have dualistic minds and it is we who perceive wrongly. Om Ah Hung Benzar Guru Pedma Siddhi Hung

The Relationship Between Those to be Guided and the Enlightened Guides

February 3, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Myriad Worlds: The Treasury of Knowledge Book 1” by Jamgön Kongtrul:

For as long as infinite space and sentient beings exist,
The compassion of the victorious ones and the actions
of sentient beings continue without end.
Those to be guided and enlightened guidesmanifest through inconceivable interconnections.
When the characters and dispositions of those to be guided are activated,
[The compassion of] the guide [arises], and the configurations
of the realms and the dimensions of awakening appear;
The miraculous methods of guiding others manifest beyond all bounds.

For as long as infinite space and the countless dispositions of sentient beings exist, the compassionate strength of the victorious ones [buddhas] and the actions and emotions of beings will never end. The [variety of] characters and dispositions of beings (those to be guided to enlightenment) and the expressions of the compassion of buddhas (those who guide them) manifest fully due to the inconceivable power of natural interconnections.

By way of explanation, sentient beings [are unaware of the pure nature] of the [mind’s] sphere of reality. Consequently, their characters and dispositions [begin to manifest]. That is to say, instinctive unawareness acts as the principle cause and adventitious conceptualization as the contributing factor in activating the propensities of beings. Craving and grasping cause beings to form a connection with three realms.

The compassion of buddhas arises in response to this: inconceivable configurations of realms and the dimensions of awakening within those realms manifest spontaneously and effortlessly. The [buddhas’] methods of guiding beings, such as the four great miracles perceived by all, arise in an immeasurable and inconceivable display.

Particular Causes and Conditions

The sphere of reality never changes into something else;
Yet blessings, vows, actions and natural laws
Cause oceans of realms to appear.

The sphere of reality, the sphere of vision of each of the joyful ones, completely transcends the limited domain of thought, expression, etc., and can be neither measured nor located. It never becomes anything other than itself, even to the slightest degree, nor is it affected by any other substance. At the same time, various causes and conditions–the blessings of the transcendent ones, the extraordinary vows made by bodhisattvas to purify realms, the convergence of sentient beings’ multitudinous actions, and natural law–cause oceans of realms to appear. The Flower Ornament Scripture states:

The boundless oceans of realms that I have described
Have been purified by the Illuminator’s own qualities.
This buddha’s world of pristine wisdom is inconceivable,
As are his blessings and miraculous displays.

The bodhisattvas’ inconceivable oceans of vows,
Cultivated in response to inclinations of [beings],
And the inconceivable oceans of beings’ actions
Cause oceans of realms to manifest in all directions.

The miraculous powers of the bodhisattvas
And their intention to attain omniscience
Cause their oceans of vows to reach fulfillment
And limitless realms to appear throughout infinite space.

While cultivating boundless oceans of excellent conduct,
[Bodhisattvas] enter the infinite sphere of the joyful ones.
They spend endless eons in each realm
And purify all oceans of realms in all directions.
Actions generated by the inconceivable range of beings’ mentalities
Cause oceans of realms to arise.

[II]
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE REALMS

This section has three parts: (1) a presentation of the realm called Richly Adorned; (2) a detailed explanation of the realm called Flower-Filled World; and (3) a description of the distinctive features of our own world-system, known as Endurance.

[II.A.]
The Richly Adorned Realm

This section has two parts: (1) a general description of the realm Richly Adorned, and (2) a description of the distinctive features of the realms within Richly Adorned.

[II.A.1]
A description of Richly Adorned

The realm Unsurpassed is free from incidental defilement
And transcends the experience of the three realms: it is
indivisible pristine wisdom.
In this self-manifesting, spontaneously appearing [realm,]
Richly Adorned,
Dwells Illuminator, Great Glacial Lake of Wisdom;
A billion realms in his every pore.

Enlightenment is attained when the naturally pure sphere of reality [of the mind] is freed from adventitious defilement, and the sphere of reality becomes inseparable from pristine wisdom. The place where this occurs is called Unsurpassed. It is not limited to any one place or direction, just as the images of one’s dream are experienced wherever one falls asleep.

The “Unsurpassed” place of enlightenment is not part of the confused, habitual experience of unenlightened beings, but transcends [everything experienced] in the three realms. This natural expression [of enlightenment] is a pure realm and has a celestial palace of pristine wisdom, without direction or division, adorned with an endless array of ornaments. Clouds of offering and adornments of complete enjoyment appear naturally and fill all space.

In this place so “richly adorned” dwells the expression of the effortless complete enjoyment of all buddhas, known as Illuminator, Appearing Everywhere, Great Glacial Lake of Wisdom. Each pore of his body contains hundreds of billions of realms, not to mention the infinite oceans of realms that exist within his whole body. Moreover, realms as numerous as the atoms in the [entire] realm appear within each atom [of each realm]. infinite oceans of [Illuminator’s] forms appear within his one form. Each form appears as though it were pervading all of the infinite oceans of his forms and realms. This exists by virtue of a great miracle that transcends the sphere of [ordinary] experience. [The Prayer for Excellence] states:

In as little as [the space of] a hair-breadth in every region without exception,
oceans of buddhas and oceans of realms,
As many as exist throughout all time.
As I engage in [excellent] conduct for an ocean of eons,
I resolve to enter them all!

[II.A.2]
The Distinctive Features of the Realms within Richly Adorned

Their locations, shapes, sizes, durations, and arrangements are inconceivable.

First, distinctions according to location [and configuration]: The Flower Ornament Scripture states:

Some oceans of realms of pure light rest within the infinity of space;
Others have a luminous nature and rest in oceans of jewels.

Further:

Many oceans of realms exceed all boundaries and rest in a vast sea of lotuses.

Further:

Vast oceans of realms rest within the buddhas’ blessing.

The existence of these realms depends upon four elements, the actions of sentient beings, the blessings of the buddhas, and so forth. These realms appear in a variety of configurations such as intersecting, upside-down, and right-side-up.

Second, distinctions according to shape:

Some realms are round, some or triangular,
Some appear square,
Some are [shaped like] eight-spoked-wheels, jewels, or lotuses;
All are designed by oceans of actions [of beings],

Third, [distinctions according to] size:

Each of the ten world-systems from Saffron Banner up to Resplendent Lotus increases in size and qualities by factors of ten. [Certain realms] that are manifesting now, such as Delightful and Blissful, are vast, whereas our own realm, Endurance, and even more so Thumb-Size (the realm of the buddha called Delight in Stars), and other [realms], are extremely small. The realm of All-Seeing Guide that will manifest in the future, Pure Cluster, will be immeasurably vast. There are many [descriptions] such as these.

Fourth, [distinctions according to] duration:

Some realms [endure] for just an eon,
Some for ten eons,
Some realms are said [to endure for] ten million eons times the number of their particles.

Fifth, distinctions according to arrangements of the decorations:

Some realms are richly embellished
With millions of realm-adornments.
These diversified ornaments of various styles
Appear as myriad optical illusions.

Some distinctions according to the presence of buddhas are expressed in these words:

In some realms, there are no buddhas;
In some realms, there are buddhas;
In some realms, there is one buddha;
In some, many buddhas.

[Concerning distinctions according to] light,

In some realms, there is no light.

Beginning with this reference to realms that are dark, fearsome, and terrifying, there follows:

…the light of palaces
…the light of the sun and moon,
…natural light, light of trees,
…light of mountains,
…light of jewels,
…light of lamps,
…light of buddhas.

Further

In some realms, there is the light of lotuses.

And:

In [others], the light of fragrant waters.

And:

These realms have been purified through the power of bodhisattvas’ vows.

Whether or not [a world-system] comprises four continents forms another distinction. Our own third-order thousand-world-system is divided into many four-continent [world-systems], whereas Blissful, as well as some other realms, are flat like the palm of a hand. Among those that comprise [four continents], there are many different sizes [of continents].

There are also distinctions regarding enjoyment. In Truly Joyous, for instance, the gods wish to be human. The massive mountain [that forms the axis of a four-continent world-system] can differ [from one realm to another]. Differences also exist in the forms of life: some beings have emotions, while others embody purity, and so on. Worlds exist in an inconceivable variety of ways.

[II.B]

The Flower-Filled World

This section has two parts: (1) an overall explanation, and (2) a detailed explanation.

[II.B.1]
Overall Explanation

Within the central minute particle in the palm of his hand lies the Oceanic World-System
That itself contains many world-systems, in the center of which
Lies the realm called Flower-Filled World.

Within the single minute particle in the very center of the palm of the hand [of the Buddha] Illuminator, Great Glacial Lake of Wisdom, lies the Oceanic World-System which rests in the center of the Enlightened One’s palm. Furthermore, Great Glacial Lake of Wisdom himself manifests throughout this world-system as an enlightened teacher. The magnitude of this inconceivable place is the sphere of experience solely of buddhas and bodhisattvas who dwell on the [three] higher stages [of awakening].

Numerous world-systems are found within the Oceanic World-System. In the center of these lies Flower-Filled World, the realm of the manifest dimension of awakening of Buddha Illuminator.

[II.B.2]
Detailed explanation

Furthermore, [between the wind] and Unsurpassed lie one billion four-continent world-systems,
A great third-order thousand [world-system].
Multiplying that by factors of one billion
[Yields] Infinite Links, Continuums, Oceans,
And Flower-Filled World.
Each rests on an ocean and [is encircled by] an outer rim.
This is the sphere of influence of one supreme manifest dimension of awakening.

The extent of the realm Flower-Filled World is determined in the following way:

First of all, the area that includes four continents, Mount Meru, and the outer rim of mountains–everything from the underlying configuration of wind up to Unsurpassed, the peak of existence–is referred to as four-continent world-system. An identical world-system is located in space at a distance of one thousand times the magnitude of that world-system. A total of one thousand such world-systems [evenly distributed in space], encircled by a rim, is referred to as a first-order thousand world-system. This considered as a single unit, replicated one thousand times and surrounded by a perimeter, is referred to as a second-order thousand world-system. One thousand [second-order thousand world-systems] enclosed by a great rim is called a third-order world-sysetm. Thus, one billion four-continent world-systems is called one great thousand third-order thousand world-system.

(Although teachers of phenomenology base their calculations on the area from the heaven [called] The Pure downwards, the description given here is based on the Marvelous Life of the Buddha, the Pure Golden Light Scripture, and other sources.)

The total number of world-systems comprising one Flower Filled World is calculated by progressively multiplying by factors of one billion: One billion great thousand third-order thousand world-systems constitutes the world-system Infinite Links. A billion of those is the world-system Oceanic Infinity. One billion of those is the extent of one Flower-Filled World. Each world-system rests on its own great ocean and is encircled by a rim. At the same time, one great rim encircles them all.

One [arrangement] of such dimension constitutes the sphere of influence of a single supreme manifest dimension of awakening. To those of limited intelligence, [the sphere of influence] is taught to be only a third-order thousand world-system.

[II.C]
Distinctive Features of Our Own World-System, Endurance

This section has two parts: (1) identification of Endurance, and (2) a supplementary explanation.

[I.C.1]
Identification of Endurance

Inside the great outer rim, within the seas of scented waters,
Four jeweled lotuses support
A tiered arrangement of twenty-five world-systems;
The thirteenth is known as Endurance.

Within the great outer rim of that [arrangement of one] Flower-Filled World are the indescribable oceans of fragrant waters [descending from] the body of Great Glacial Lake, as numerous as particles in all the buddha realms. In the center of these oceans are seas of scented waters filled with beautiful anthers on which rest four immense jeweled lotuses.

A tiered arrangement of twenty-five world-systems is supported by these [lotuses]. In the spaces between each [of these world-systems] are infinite tiers of world-systems, which define their boundaries. The thirteenth of these [twenty-five world-systems] is our own third-order thousand world-system, known as Endurance.

The Sanskrit term for Endurance is sahā, which denotes possession, forbearance, or capacity. All sentient beings who have taken birth in this realm endure emotions and sufferings. In other words, beings possess these [afflictions] in great measure. “Endurance” also signifies the forbearance of hardship. The bodhisattvas of this realm patiently endure [hardship] with exceptional courage and excel in bravery. Thus, this realm is known as Endurance.

[I.C.2]
The supplementary Explanation

The third-order thousand world-system
Is completely encircled by realms–Covered, Surpassing, Stainless, Variously Emerged, etc.–
Equal in number to the particles of this thirteenth world-system.
[Endurance] is spherical, has a four-vajra demarcation,
and rests on a multicolored configuration of wind and a network of lotuses.

This third-order thousand world-system of Endurance alone is encircled by buddha realms equal in number to particles of this thirteenth world-system. To the east is Covered; to the south, Surpassing; to the west, Stainless; and to the north, Variously Emerged. In the intermediate directions are Benefitting, Variously Appeared, Complete Joy, and Activator. Above and below are found Resounding Melody, Not Great, and others. Endurance is spherical and has a four-vajra boundary demarcation. It is supported by a multicolored configuration of wind and rests on a network of lotuses.

Illuminator, the teacher in this [world-system],
Appears throughout the Unsurpassed realms of the pure domain.

The enlightened teacher in our third-order thousand world-system [Endurance] is an emanation of the enjoyment dimension of awakening, the great Illuminator. This is a single form whose vast emanations appear throughout all the Unsurpassed realms in the pure domains and teach the Dharma in the midst of all the powerful [Bodhisattvas]. The Centrist scholar Dharmamitra explains:

This form, differentiated [from others] by vows, the power of cultivation [of merit and pristine wisdom], and intention, has attained complete enlightenment in one Unsurpassed domain alone. Therefore, the myriad forms of the enjoyment dimension of awakening that dwell in all the [other] Unsurpassed realms are solely his apparition manifesting in a vast [display].
This four-continent [world-system] called Destructible
Is surrounded by ten other four-continent [world-systems].

Our four-continent world-system, which is situated in the center of Endurance, is known as Destructible. It is said that even this [world-system] alone is surrounded by ten other satellite four-continent world-systems. Beginning from the East, these are, respectively, Well Protected, Joyful, Unbearable, Excellent Essence, Befriended, Fine Land, Lion Inhabited, Well Formed. Above is Bearing Wealth, and below Radiant Light.

It is taught that these [world-systems] are formed and destroyed together;
This is the experiential domain solely of the lords of the tenth stage of awakening.

The view most widely shared by Buddhist systems is that [the worlds within] any single third-order thousand world-system are formed together and destroyed [together]. Another view states that all realms of emanations of a single supreme manifest dimension of awakening (such as the oceans of realms that are located in the Flower-Filled World) are formed and destroyed together. The magnitude of this latter view is unfathomable to proclaimers and others; it remains the domain of experience solely of the lord [bodhisattvas] of the tenth stage [of awakening].

Turning the Mind Away from Samsara

January 30, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “The Dorje Chang Thungma” composed by Benkar Jampal Zangpo a commentary by Chamgon Kentig Tai Situpa

Now going into a little bit more detail, the first is (and this is going with the particular order) zhen log; the literal meaning of which is one thing but it really means turning our minds towards enlightenment instead of samsara–turning our mind from samsara to enlightenment. It means that instead of going in circles, we now decide to go straight; because if we go in circles, no matter how big or how small the circles are, we still end up in the same place. The masters of samsara are going in such big circles that they don’t even know that they are going in circles–they don’t feel [that]; that is what we call ‘success’. But then after many lifetimes they end up in the same place, they don’t get anywhere. But those of us who are not good at samsara, our circle is so small that sometimes we just spin, then we get sick and we know something is wrong right away, but we still do it again and again and again. So that is both of us in samsara, going in circles.

Now the real meaning of zhen log is, instead of having attachment to samsara we turn our mind away from it by knowing that there is no point. For example, each one of us has been the king and queen of the universe countless times in the past; also each one of us has been born as a worldly god countless times in the past; each one of us has been born in the hells countless times in the past; each one of us has been born as an animal countless times in the past, and in the same way as a human being–right now we are human beings, right here. And each time we have done similar things to what we are doing right now–we want something, we don’t want something, we try to achieve something, we are very happy about achieving it. It is like trying to hit a target with a stone. For example, get the smallest thing you can and put it way over where it is almost impossible to hit, then find something very small and try to hit it. When you hit it you’re happy and when you can’t hit it you’re very upset; that is how samsara is–we make our own conditions for happiness; ‘If I get this I am going to be happy and if not I am going to be upset.’ You can get so many things, but you don’t even see them because you are not getting what you want. You might get so many things on the way but you want to get rid of something, and you will not be happy until you get rid of it, but on the way you are getting rid of so many things you don’t even see that, because you are focused on getting rid of one particular thing. So achieving something, avoiding something, all of these things are the kinds of conditions that we make, that we create.

Just go and look at the people in the street and you will know. For example, some people have their hair one way and they think it’s nice, other people have their hair another way and they think it’s nice, and other people have it backwards and they think it’s nice, then other people make it another way and they think it’s very nice. It is all created by us, all of these things, including money, including power, everything, what is precious or not so precious, everything we create and then we follow that. We follow that and make such a big deal about it, we invest so much of our time and energy in these things; that is samsara. It doesn’t mean bad and doesn’t mean good, but I guarantee you, a the end of the day it is exactly the same: whether youy are the Maharaja (Great King) of planet Earth or a guy in the street begging for a coin, in the end it is the same. If you are the Maharaja of the planet Earth you will be crying on your throne, which can be made out of gold inlaid with diamonds the size of your fist, all around, above and below, everywhere, but you will be crying there. The tears that come out of your eyes are the same tears. And if you are a beggar sleeping on the pavement under a tree, being bitten by mosquitos, adorned with cockroaches and all kinds of things everywhere instead of big diamonds, and you are crying, the tears are the same. The suffering is the same, the happiness is the same. At the end of the day it is the same. We often say that when we die it is the same–the beggar goes alone and the king goes alone, the most powerful go alone and the most powerless go alone. But in my opinion you don’t even have to die, right now it is the same. For example, you can eat chapati (bread) and dhal (beans) in a cheap dried leaf bowl or you can eat the rarest dish on a plate of gold, but the purpose of both is to fill your stomach. You are hungry so you eat; after eating bread and dhal you get pait naram (a smooth or full stomach) and after eating from a gold plate you also get pait naram, it is the same thing. Anyway, I am talking about pait naram and all of this in a Mahamudra context–of course Mahamudra is about everything so it has to include that.

This is in the context of turning the mind away from samsara, but this doesn’t mean against samsara, it is for samsara. Because, what would be the best thing for all sentient beings in samsara? To best thing would be to have a Buddha to guide one, and each one of us wishes to be that Buddha. In that way we turn our mind away from samsaric way to the dharmic way and the Mahamudra way.

Zhen Log Gom Gyi Kang Par Sung Pa Zhin,
As is taught detachment is the foot of meditation,

Ze Nor Kun La Chag Zhen Me Pa Dang,
Please grant your blessing,

Tse Dir Doe That Cho Pay Gom Chen La,
To this meditator who is no longer attached to food and wealth, and has cut ties to this life,

Nye Kur Zhen Pa Me Jin Gyi Lob
So that there is no attachment to honor and gain.

That is the first four sentences of the prayer. It means that turning the mind away from samsara is like the feet, legs, it is the foundation; that is number one, the first step. How we do that is by overcoming attachment for anything that is related to samsaric comfort, such as food, material wealth (fortune), fame, all of these things, try to overcome attachment for them, clinging to them. Also there is emphasis, tse dir doe thag cho pay gom chen la–gom means meditation and chen actually means meditator–the meditator should be free of all kinds of ambitions for this life. If I want to be famous, if I want to be rich, if I want to be powerful, then I am not a good meditator. But if I wish to be in peace, if I want to have wisdom, if I want to be able to make others happy, if I wish to be able to become a source of aspiration for others, for their wisdom, their happiness, their joy and their harmony, not struggle, not conflict, that is tse dir do thag cho pay, a person who has decided not to have any interest whatsoever for anything of this life; that is a good meditator. I’m not claiming that I am a good meditator, but anybody who is a good meditator, a good yogi, is a person who is not attached to the so-called nice things of this life and any ambitions for this life; that is a good yogi. Therefore, please bless me so that I will not have attachment for the respect of others and the offerings of others–material offerings and mental respect. I should have no attachment and clinging for that. That is the first four sentences.

This gives a very clear description of why Milarepa ran away from one cave to another–because others were making offerings to him and others were coming to seek his blessings and having a lot of respect for him and all of that. So if he stopped practicing in order to bless them it would be a very good thing, but then he would not have become enlightened. He would just be a quarter of the way to enlightenment, and then he would be using that so he would not go further. Then if he got attached to all of that, then he would have gone backwards and have become less than what he had achieved. It is like charging a battery: you charge a battery and then you use it and the battery goes down, then you have to charge it again. So it becomes like that, therefore nye kur zhen pa me par jin gyi lob.

This is really a very, very serious aspiration prayer of a serious and really dedicated yogi; that we have to understand. It doesn’t mean that all of you right now should have no ambitions for this life, no plans for this life and no attachment for anything. If you can that is wonderful, but whatever project, whatever business, or whatever kind of job you have, it will fall apart. Everything will fall apart, that is for sure, because if you just stop right now, everything you have planned will fall apart. But to get enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings is worth it. But if you just get excited [about that] and give everything away, then after a couple of months think, “I miss this and I miss that” and try to come back, you will have a very, very hard time because you’ve made a big mess of everything and you have to fix everything. For example, if you abandon everything and then after two years come back and want to claim everything back it will be very difficult, because the minute you abandoned it everybody grabbed it, so when you come back after two years, everything that was yours will belong to someone else. You might have to file twenty court cases, which you may win or lose, but you will not have the money to pay for the lawyers, so it will be a big mess, a practical mess. So if you really want to be a yogi that is one thing, but if you just want to have a try then that is another thing. You can have a try for one week, just make a program so that for one week your attention is not required; you know, your telephone doesn’t have to be answered for that week, your emails don’t have to be answered for that week, so for that week you can be a yogi, a ‘yogi week’. So if you want to have a try you can do that, people do that, they call it a weekend retreat or a holiday retreat, all these sorts of things, but that is not a real retreat. A retreat for a real yogi is until you attain realization. For example, what kind of vow did Milarepa take before he went into retreat? He said, “I will not return to society until I attain enlightenment. If I do, I want all the dharma protectors to punish me.” He said that, that was an ultimate vow that he took. Then he said, “If I die without attaining enlightenment may I die in a cave in the wilderness so that nobody knows I am dead, and nobody will be there to cry for me. An may my body be consumed by little insects and sentient beings so that there will be no trace of me left.” He literally said this in his gur (people call it songs but it is ‘gur’). That is a real yogi’s vow. Without that sort of thing, trying to imagine that we will become a Buddha in this life is not really a possibility. That is my understanding, but of course I can be wrong, but it doesn’t look that way to me–I haven’t seen anywhere in any text about a great being attaining enlightenment without totally renouncing samsara.

But renunciation has many ways–no attachment at all is renunciation. For example, the King of Shambhala, Buddha manifested to him as the three mandalas of the Kalachakra and empowered him on one seat (without getting up from that seat the King was enlightened). That means he was ready for it; renunciation and everything took place right there on his seat. Buddha manifested above as the mandala of the stars, in the middle of the mandala of the deity, and below as the mandala of sound. So sound, the deity and the stars, three mandalas manifested to the King of Shambhala, empowered by the Buddha in the form of the Kalachakra deity (which has about nine hundred manifestations within the mandala itself). Inthat we he was enlightened right there. That is another way, but that is also renunciation in itself, non-attachment in itself. So that is the first four sentences.

Song to Tara

January 29, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Clear Mind
Holy Mind
The arguments we have used against you are like dust…

Against You?
You, who flow silently… eternally in the well of our hearts.
Have we robed you in filthy rags
Hatred… greed… ignorance?
You have remained steadfast, unchanging.

Today we lift you up to the lips and hearts of beings without number
And are feasted forever.

Precious mind unchanging
Clear mind eternal.
The promise we have searched for is enthroned within our hearts.

Clear light, holy light
Stainless, precious heart.
Here in this clear place we are robed in sweet scent and victorious forever.

Homage to Śrī Samantabhadra: Longchenpa

January 18, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Kindly Bent to Ease Us” by Longchenpa:

Homage to the beginningless primordial Lord,
an ocean great and full of capabilities,
Whose range of intuition and depth of
tenderness cannot be fathomed,
Who is the birthplace of the Wish-fulfilling Gem, the
Buddhas and their spiritual sons, and
From whom cloud banks of prosperity and bliss arise.

Sheer lucency, founding stratum of meaning,
immaculate, man’s Buddha-nature,
Through ego-centered apprehensions following the loss
of pure awareness, strays into fictitious being.
Wearied and weakened in the deserts of
Karmic actions and turbulent emotions may Mind
today find comfort and ease.

Friends, a precious human body, being a unique
occasion and the right juncture,
Is very hard to find within the six-life forms.
As delighted as a blind man who has stumbled on a
precious hoard,
Use this body for prosperity and bliss.

What is meant by a unique occasion and the right
juncture?
I am a person beyond the eight unfavorable
conditions:
My mind has not been born in the realms of hells,
of hungry spirits,
And of animals, I am not dumb, and I am not one of the
long-living gods, nor one of the savages, and
I do not harbor wrong views, and do not live in a period
in which there are no Buddhas;
And I represent the right juncture; five events affecting
me directly by being complete in me–
I have become a human being, I live in the central
country, and I possess all senses,
I do not revert to inexpiable evil deeds, and I have
confidence in the foundation of spiritual life; and
Five events affecting me directly;
The coming of a Buddha, his having taught the
doctrine, the presence of his teaching now,
The following so that it continues, and the loving
guidance by others.
These are the eighteen facets of a unique occasion and
the right juncture.
While they are thus complete,
Thoroughly exert yourself and realize deliverance.

If in this lifetime you do not make good use (of your
existence)
You will in the hereafter not even hear the word ‘happy life-form’
But for a long time will roam about in evil forms of life.
Not knowing what is to be rejected and what to be
accepted, so going the wrong way,
You cannot but drift about in Samsāra that has
no beginning nor end.

Therefore, while you still have the power now,
Apply yourself to the accumulation of inexhaustible
positive qualities,
In view of the fact that you are the juncture for the path
to happiness,
And pass beyond the stronghold of fictitious being.

But if I dare not cross the endless ocean of Samsāra,
Although I have a precious boat,
What shall I do when forever
Emotional reactions and frustrations are raging in
tumultuous waves?

Then quickly don the armor of perseverance
And, in order to let the turbid state of mind and mental
events be cleared,
Set out on the path of sheer lucency, of immaculate
pristine cognitions,
And let no obstacles impede the road to limpid
clearness and consummate perspicacity.

He who has become the foundation for bliss and
happiness
And has found a precious and clean vessel,
But does not gather the refreshing rain of the
nectar-like doctrine,
Will let himself be crushed by the swelter of Samsāra.

The downpour of (the Buddha’s) truth, the refreshing
water of pristine cognitions
With clouds of glorious bliss and happiness and
prosperity,
Will fall on the pure mind of living beings, the fertile
soil of a unique occasion at the right juncture.
Therefore, with joy and from your heart engage in the
quest for the real meaning of life.

A Unique Occasion at the Right Juncture: Longchenpa

January 17, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Kindly Bent to Ease Us” by Longchenpa:

A Unique Occasion at the Right Juncture

Traditional philosophy has been dominated by the contrasting ideas of essence and existence. Essence is said to be that factor in finite entities which determines them and marks them off from others, while existence is the act that makes them actual and separates from nothing. As the determinate whatness of finite entities, essence was further conceived to be something universal, timeless, and inactive, and the various essences of the multiplicity of finite entities were held together by necessary logical relationships. All this led to the construction of conceptual systems, and to the assumption that essence preceded existence in the case of man determining his nature, which remained fixed for all times. Similarly existence was tied up with particular entities. When in more recent times it was claimed that existence preceded essence and that in the act of existence man determined his own essence, this existential reversal of the essentialist trend did not change the basic conceptualism.

Whether we give precedence to essence or existence, we deal with an abstraction, and this means that we have taken something smaller from something greater. It is a fact that the greater can never be caught by or reduced to the smaller. It cannot even be pointed out. Attempts to do so are more often than not attempts to dwell on elements which are merely ingredients, aspects of rationalization upon which the construction of a conceptual system rests, but which in a work of art is known as beauty and in a life situation as Being.

While we cannot point out beauty or Being, we can point to it and this pointing may help people to experience for themselves this something greater. Such pointing is indicated by the use of word ‘Being’ which is the most universal of concepts, for it covers anything and everything — even ‘nothing’ which, in the sense that it is spoken or thought, is something. Beyond the domain of this concept there is, in the strictest sense of the word, nothing more on which ‘Being’ could rest and on the basis of which it could be more specifically determined. This is tantamount to saying that the more comprehensive a concept is the more indeterminate and ’empty’ is its content. There is ‘nothing’ of either essence or existence in it, and yet there is the awareness and feeling of ‘Being’ in the sense that ‘Being’ is awareness and awareness if feeling.

Of course, terms like ‘awareness’ and ‘feeling’ are quite inadequate. We have the tendency to say that we are aware of something and we tacitly assume that this something is always something finite, as is the awareness itself. The same applies to feeling, as when I say that I feel happy or comfortable, unhappy or uncomfortable. What we have done in all these cases is that we have made up a concept and, in our efforts to bring the something greater under the concept, we have attempted to make it something smaller and have quite literally strayed away from it into fictions of our own making–whether we call it ‘essences’, ‘existences’, or ‘minds’. It is as if, and it seems almost inevitable to do so, we were desperate to fill nothingness, the ’emptiness’ of Being, with ‘essences’, fundamental characteristics, and to replace pure awareness by distinct acts of cognitions. However, rather than to see we ‘fill’ nothingness it seems more correct to say that we tend to ‘falsify’ ‘Being’ into some sort of ‘existent’ which we then further split up into essence and existence, and to ‘falsify’ Mind (as a pointer to awareness that is Being) into ‘some’ mind which also is split up into a mind and mental events. Thus the openness of Being is lost, its sheer lucency becomes dimmer and dimmer until it is as dull as the ‘existents’, the objects it deals with as a mind.

This falsification, however, makes us uneasy. This uneasiness not only signals the fact that something, somewhere, sometime has gone wrong, and that something has to be done about it, it also makes clear that what is at stake is man’s humanity which cannot be defined in terms of ‘essences’ but is inseparable from, if not identical with, Being, to which, in the context of man’s being human, the name ‘Buddha nature’ is given.

Insofar as Being operates through a human existence which illustrates this working of Being as the rediscovery of Being by itself, a human existence is a ‘unique occasion’ and ‘right juncture’. To the extent that Being is allowed to penetrate man’s ‘existence’ and return it to ‘Being’ , to heal the wounds of fragmentation and to restore the wholeness of Being, a human existence is precious. This means neither more nor less than that the presence of something already there, and the direction and scope of the question (and the quest) of being human, are determined by the question and the quest of Being, which aims at making the meaning of Being explicit through its immediate experience.

Revealing the Hidden Faults: Longchen Rabjam

January 14, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Drops of Nectar” by Ngagyur Nyingma Institute:

Revealing Hidden Faults (Longchen Rabjam)

The great ship of primordial wisdom of vast compassion Liberates all beings without exception from the ocean of cyclic existence.

I bow to the feet of the glorious protector, the sacred guru who has gone to the precious continent, peaceful and immaculate.

The ocean of samsara is extremely difficult to cross;
With its raging waves of birth, old age, sickness and death,
It is hard to escape from and boundlessly deep.
To you confused ones who are floundering here I offer these
suggestions from my heart!

Without applying these suggestions to dig out hidden faults,
There will be no time to cast off all your unwholesome behavior.
Without looking back into your mind,
There will be no time to see your negative faults.
Therefore, today I offer these suggestions from my heart!
Keep this in mind. It is beneficial spiritual advice.

Even if you live in solitude, you can become accustomed to depending on others;
If you are not free from the eight worldly concerns and the distractions of this life,
You can become someone who appears to benefit others while pervertedly benefiting himself!
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

By abiding in solitude, the Victorious Ones of the past attained enlightenment
And even former practitioners of the dharma achieved accomplishment,
But you are completely distracted.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Not recognizing all material wealth, fame, glory and valuable possessions as magical illusions.
And deceptive obstacles to accomplishment,
It’s like you are receiving something from one person and giving it to another.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Not recognizing as manifold demons of distraction and illusion
All kinds of business with many different people,
You think that babbling platitudes about the dharma will benefit others.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Being uncertain about exactly where you are heading,
You gather material wealth, build castles on dung heaps and so on.
Reckoning that you will live there forever, you take illusory appearance to be real.
Do you think such conduct will suffice?

Failing to tame and stabilize your own mind,
But hoping to tame and stabilize the minds of others,
You will experience incessant suffering and torment.
Do you think such conduct is good enough?

Never applying yourself to actual essence,
While day and night making great efforts for this life is a great mistake.
Such childish and imprudent ones are objects of the noble beings’ smiles and laughter.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

When a group of many aimless ones have gathered,
Distracted teachers and students fetter one another.
This is like making an aimless search for a guesthouse.
Clinging to never-ending appearances of magical illusion
As happiness and bliss, you lose the enlightened path to liberation
And feel no weariness toward cyclic existence.
Do you think such conduct is good enough?

This year is the dwelling ground of Female Fire-Hog,
And twelve years from now will be the ground of the Male Iron-Dog, when
Foreign invasion is prophesied. Yet you make no effort to escape.
Do you think such conduct will suffice?

From all directions, war and strife will increase,
People will become intolerant and there will be many types of destruction,
But you are not trying to find the precious hidden land.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Even if you always perform good deeds without deceit,
Since there won’t be time to complete this, both inside and out,
The foundation of purposeless suffering will be uninterrupted.
Do you think such conduct is good enough?

Remaining in solitude in the mountains, but acting like you were on the edge of a city,
Accustomed to countless meetings and gatherings,
You become completely careless and your occupations never end.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Although you mentally renounce this life, you cannot let it go;
Although you dismantle deluded ego clinging, it doesn’t fall apart;
Even remaining alone in the mountains, you’ll find no occasion for solitude.
Do you think you can get by with that kind of conduct!

Although with words you talk about needing nothing, you pursue food and clothing;
Although you speak of impermanence of life, you’re still not mindful of death;
Even remaining in solitude to practice, you’re still distracted by entertainment.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Despite talking about the delusion of ordinary life, you chase the eight worldly concerns;
Despite talking about the pointlessness of illusory appearances,
you still find a lot to do;
Although you say all things are equal, you maintain your partiality.
Do you think that kind of conduct will suffice?

Even if you sit down to accomplish the natural state, present worldly concerns deceive you;
Even practicing the Dharma of your own free will, external influences mislead you;
Whatever you do, day and night you are beguiled by illusion.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Although you ponder everything, this is not the essence.
Whatever you do lacks meaning and is a cause for suffering.
Abandon everything in an empty place without people.
If you could go today itself, this would be best!

Since there is nothing nearer than oneself,
I give this useful advice out of pity,
Listen, you virtuous-minded one who desires liberation!
If you heed these suggestions it will always be virtuous!
At the outset, the virtue is to abandon your present worldly activities.
In the middle, the virtue is to discard entertainment in solitary retreat.
In the end, virtue is to achieve exhaustion in the natural state.
Ease in the present life and happiness in the future is the intention of the advice!

I composed this advice by myself and for myself
To encourage others as well I offer this instruction.
It will be excellent if both others and I listen carefully!
Please pursue this excellent permanent aim from today!

From the Vajra Song of Instructions for Rousing Myself, this completes the first chapter of exposing one’s hidden faults.

The Power of Devotion: Wisdom of Kyabje Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche

January 14, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, quoting her Root Guru, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche:

From His Holiness Penor Rinpoche:

In the Tantras it is stated again and again the importance of relying on the Lama as the source of blessing in one’s practice. Regardless of the particular prayer that the student offers to the Lama, regardless of how small and insignificant it may be if it is based upon the student’s complete trust and faith in the Lama then the blessings of the Lama are always accessible to the student. In the Tantra of the Ocean of Timeless Awareness it states that it is much better to recite one small prayer to one’s own Lama out of pure faith and devotion then it is to perform hundreds of millions of recitations of Diety Mantras. The effect of prayer is far more powerful when it is truly an expression of one’s own faith and devotion in one’s Lama.

Heart teaching from Kyabje Drubwang PemaNorbu Rinpoche

What Makes You Not Buddhist: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

January 7, 2013 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “What Makes You Not Buddhist” by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche:

Sometimes out of frustration that Siddhartha’s teachings have not caught on enough for my liking, and sometimes out of my own ambition, I entertain ideas of reforming Buddhism, making it easier–more straightforward and puritanical. It is devious and misguided to imagine (as i sometimes do) simplifying Buddhism into defined, calculated practices like meditating three times a day, adhering to certain dress codes, and holding certain ideological beliefs, such as the whole world must be converted to Buddhism. If we could promise that such practices would provide immediate, tangible results, I think there would be more Buddhists in the world. But when I recover from the fantasies (which I rarely do), my sober mind warns me that a world of people calling themselves Buddhists would not necessarily be a better world.

Many people mistakenly think that Buddha is the “God” of Buddhism; even some people in commonly recognized Buddhist countries such as Korea, Japan and Bhutan have this theistic approach to Buddha and Buddhism. This is why throughout this book we use the name Siddhartha and Buddha interchangeably, to remind people that Buddha was just a man and that this man became Buddha.

It is understandable that some people might think that Buddhists are followers of this external man named Buddha. However, Buddha himself pointed out that we should not venerate a person but rather the wisdom that person teaches. Similarly, it is taken for granted that reincarnation and karma are the most essential beliefs of Buddhism. There are numerous other gross misconceptions. For example, Tibetan Buddhism is sometimes referred to as “lamaism,” and Zen is not even considered Buddhism in some cases. Those people who are slightly more informed, yet still misguided, may use words such as emptiness and nirvana without understanding their meaning.

When a conversation arises like the one with my seatmate on the plane, a non-Buddhist may casually ask “What makes someone a Buddhist?” That is the hardest question to answer. If the person has a genuine interest, the complete answer does not make for light dinner conversation, and generalizations can lead to misunderstanding. Suppose that you give them the true answer, the answer that points to the very foundation of this 2,500-year-old tradition.

One is a Buddhist if he or she accepts the following four truths:

All compounded things are impermanent.
All emotions are pain.
All things have no inherent existence.
Nirvana is beyond concepts.

These four statements, spoken by the Buddha himself, are known as “the four seals.” Traditionally, seal means something like a hallmark that confirms authenticity. For the sake of simplicity and flow we will refer to these statements herein as both seals and “truths,” not to be confused with Buddhism’s four noble truths which pertain solely to aspects of suffering. Even though the four seals are believed to encompass all of Buddhism, people don’t seem to want to hear about them. Without further explanation they serve only to dampen spirits and fail to inspire further interest in many cases. The topic of conversation changes and that’s the end of it.

The message of the four seals is meant to be understood literally, not metaphorically or mystically–and meant to be taken seriously. But the seals are not edicts or commandments. With a little contemplation one sees that there is nothing moralistic or ritualistic about them. There is no good or bad behavior. They are secular truths based on wisdom, and wisdom is the primary concern of a Buddhist. That is not to say that we have license to be wicked or immoral.

Broadly speaking, wisdom comes from a mind that has what the Buddhist calls “right view.” But one doesn’t even have to consider oneself Buddhist to have right view. Ultimately it is this view that determines our motivation and action. It is the view that guides us on the path of Buddhism. If we can adopt wholesome behaviors in addition to the four seals, it makes us even better Buddhists. But what makes you not Buddhist?

If you cannot accept that all compounded things or fabricated things are impermanent, if you believe that there is some essential substance or concept that is permanent, then you are not a Buddhist.

If you cannot accept that all emotions are pain, if you believe that actually some emotions are purely pleasurable, then you are not a Buddhist.

If you cannot accept that all phenomena are illusory and empty, if you believe certain things do exist inherently, then you are not a Buddhist.

And if you think that enlightenment exists within the spheres of time, space and power, then you are not a Buddhist.

So, what makes you a Buddhist? You may not even be born in a Buddhist country or to a Buddhist family, you may not wear robes or shave your head, you may eat meat and idolize Eminem and Paris Hilton. That doesn’t mean you cannot be a Buddhist. In order to be a Buddhist, you must accept that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, all emotions are pain, all things have no inherent existence, and enlightenment is beyond concepts.

It’s not necessary to be constantly and endlessly mindful of these four truths. But they must reside in your mind. You don’t walk around persistently remembering your own name, but when someone asks your name, you remember it instantly. There is no doubt. Anyone who accepts these four seals, even independently of Buddha’s teachings, can be considered to be on the same path as he.

When I tried to explain all of this to the man next to me on the plane, I began to hear a soft snoring sound and realized that he was sound asleep. Apparently our conversation did not kill his boredom.

I enjoy generalizing, and as you read this book, you will find a sea of generalizations. But I justify this to myself by thinking that apart from these generalizations we human beings don’t have much means of communication. That’s a generalization in itself.

By writing this book, it is not my aim to persuade people to follow Shakyamuni Buddha, become Buddhists, and practice the dharma. I deliberately do not mention any meditation techniques, practices or mantras. My primary intention is to point out the unique part of Buddhism that differentiates it from other views. What did this Indian prince say that earned so much respect and admiration, even from skeptical modern scientists like Albert Einstein? What did he say that moved thousands of pilgrims prostrate themselves all the way from Tibet to Bodh Gaya? What sets Buddhism apart from religions of the world? I believe it boils down to the fours seals, and I have attempted to present these difficult concepts in the simplest language available to me.

Siddhartha’s priority was to get down to the root of the problem. Buddhism is not culturally bound. Its benefits are not limited to any particular society and have no place in government and politics. Siddhartha was not interested in academic treatises and scientifically provable theories. Whether the world is flat or round did not concern him. He had a different kind of practicality. He wanted to get to the bottom of suffering. I hope to illustrate that his teachings are not grandiose intellectual philosophy to be read and then shelved, but a functional, logical view that can be practiced by each and every individual. To that end I have attempted to use examples from all aspects of all walks of life–from the romantic crush to the emergence of civilization as we know it. While these examples are different from the ones Siddhartha used, the same message Siddhartha expressed is still relevant today.

But Siddhartha also said that his words should not be taken for granted without analysis. So, definitely someone as ordinary as myself must also be scrutinized, and I invite you to analyze what you find within these pages.